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Saturday, April 09, 2022 1:43:41 PM
Yep, "and child brides." Child Marriage in the United States
Always good to see you around, fastlizzy.
I don't know if this article is absolutely current.
Learn more about the loopholes which allow marriage under the age of 18 in most U.S. states.
There are too many exceptions to child marriage laws in the United States
Child marriage is harmful. It is a human rights violation that legitimizes abuse and denies girls’ autonomy. When young girls are forced to marry, they are essentially subject to state-sanctioned rape and are at risk of increased domestic violence, forced pregnancy, and negative health consequences, while being denied education and economic opportunity. Equality Now and our partners advocate that the minimum age for marriage be set at 18, no exceptions.
But did you know that only four U.S. states meet this standard and that the federal government provides a child marital exception for statutory rape? Equality Now works around the world to end child, early, and forced marriage, applying our legal expertise in support of partners, individual cases, and legislative efforts. The US should be no exception.
What is child marriage, and is it really happening in the United States?
Child marriage occurs when one or both of the parties to the marriage are below the age of 18. Child marriage is currently legal in 44 states (only Delaware, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island have set the minimum age at 18 and eliminated all exceptions), and 20 U.S. states do not require any minimum age for marriage, with a parental or judicial waiver. Nearly 300,00 children were married in the U.S. between 2000 and 2018 .. http://www.unchainedatlast.org/laws-to-end-child-marriage/ . The vast majority were girls wed to adult men, many much older.
What is the “statutory rape exception”?
Statutory rape is when one of the parties to sexual activity is below the age of consent. It does not have to be forcible, because a minor is not legally able to consent. 18 U.S.C. Section 2243(a), on the Sexual Abuse of a Minor, applies when a person “knowingly engages in a sexual act with another person” who is between the ages of 12 and 16 and is at least four years younger than the perpetrator. 18 U.S.C. Section 2243(c)(2) allows a defense to this crime when “the persons engaging in the sexual act were at that time married to each other.” This means that, at the federal level, child marriage is viewed as a valid defense to statutory rape.
This law not only suggests that the federal government condones the practice of child marriage, it allows an adult to engage in sexual activity with children as young as 12, and gives sexual predators an incentive to force a child to marry them. The law can effectively turn child marriage into a “get out of jail free” card for predators. This law must be repealed. Repealing 18 U.S.C. § 2243(c)(2) is a simple, commonsense step towards aligning U.S. laws with international standards and discouraging child marriage and rape in the U.S.
What can you do about it?
In addition to emailing your members of Congress urging them to sponsor or support a bill to repeal 18 U.S.C. § 2243(c)(2) and to educate their congressional colleagues about the issue of child marriage, you can call them to follow up.
You can also join the National Coalition to End Child Marriage in the U.S. .. https://endchildmarriageus.org/ , and urge your friends and family to take these steps as well.
https://www.equalitynow.org/learn_more_child_marriage_us/
-
Location
According to information compiled by the Pew Research Center, child marriage is generally more common in some of the Southern United States.[30]
The highest incidences of child marriages are in West Virginia, Florida, Texas, Nevada, Oklahoma, Arkansas, California, Tennessee, and North Carolina.[30][16] According to a Frontline report by Anjali Tsui, Dan Nolan and Chris Amico, the states with the highest rates of child marriage in 2010 were: Idaho, Utah, Arizona, Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, West Virginia and Missouri. The states with the lowest rates were Delaware, New Jersey, Montana, Indiana, North Dakota, Ohio, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Massachusetts.[31]
---
[INSERT: So Montana and North Dakota seem to be standout Republican states where child marriage is concerned.
Note, Florida, N Carolina, and Nevada are NOT listed as Republican stronghold states here, so i left them non-red ..
https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/states-that-have-voted-republican-in-the-most-consecutive-u-s-presidential-elections.html]
---
The Koski/Heymann study found prevalence of child marriage varied from more than 10 per 1,000 in West Virginia, Hawaii and North Dakota to less than four per 1,000 in Maine, Rhode Island and Wyoming.[32]
* In Texas from 2000 to 2014, almost 40,000 children were married.[33][34]
* In Florida, 16,400 children, some as young as 13, were married from 2000–2017, which is the second highest incidence of child marriage after Texas.[16]
* In Alabama there were over 8,600 child marriages from 2000 to 2015, the fourth highest amount of any state. However, child marriage in Alabama showed a large decline in that time. In 2000, almost 1,200 children married, but by 2014 it dropped to 190.[34]
* In Virginia between 2004 and 2013, nearly 4,500 children were married according to the Tahirih Justice Center.[35]
* In Ohio from 2000 to 2015 there were 4,443 girls married aged 17 and younger, including 43 aged 15 and under.[36]
* In New York, more than 3,800 children were married between 2000 and 2010.[37]
The Koski/Heymann also found that only 20% of married children were living with their spouses; the majority of the rest were living with their parents.[32]
Race/Ethnicity
Cases of child marriage exist in every racial/ethnic demographic but are more prevalent in some as compared to others. Instances of marriage were lower among white non-Hispanic children (5.0 per 1,000) than among almost every other racial or ethnic group studied[when?]; it was especially high among children of Native American or Chinese descent (10.3 and 14.2, respectively)[26] Additionally, U.S.-born African American girls are about 1.5 times more likely to marry underage than U.S.-born Caucasian girls.[38] Girls of Hispanic/ Latina origin are more likely than those of black or white heritage to be married as a minor.[39]
It was more common for immigrating children to be married than those born within the United States[when?]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Child_marriage_in_the_United_States#Location
Always good to see you around, fastlizzy.
I don't know if this article is absolutely current.
Learn more about the loopholes which allow marriage under the age of 18 in most U.S. states.
There are too many exceptions to child marriage laws in the United States
Child marriage is harmful. It is a human rights violation that legitimizes abuse and denies girls’ autonomy. When young girls are forced to marry, they are essentially subject to state-sanctioned rape and are at risk of increased domestic violence, forced pregnancy, and negative health consequences, while being denied education and economic opportunity. Equality Now and our partners advocate that the minimum age for marriage be set at 18, no exceptions.
But did you know that only four U.S. states meet this standard and that the federal government provides a child marital exception for statutory rape? Equality Now works around the world to end child, early, and forced marriage, applying our legal expertise in support of partners, individual cases, and legislative efforts. The US should be no exception.
What is child marriage, and is it really happening in the United States?
Child marriage occurs when one or both of the parties to the marriage are below the age of 18. Child marriage is currently legal in 44 states (only Delaware, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island have set the minimum age at 18 and eliminated all exceptions), and 20 U.S. states do not require any minimum age for marriage, with a parental or judicial waiver. Nearly 300,00 children were married in the U.S. between 2000 and 2018 .. http://www.unchainedatlast.org/laws-to-end-child-marriage/ . The vast majority were girls wed to adult men, many much older.
What is the “statutory rape exception”?
Statutory rape is when one of the parties to sexual activity is below the age of consent. It does not have to be forcible, because a minor is not legally able to consent. 18 U.S.C. Section 2243(a), on the Sexual Abuse of a Minor, applies when a person “knowingly engages in a sexual act with another person” who is between the ages of 12 and 16 and is at least four years younger than the perpetrator. 18 U.S.C. Section 2243(c)(2) allows a defense to this crime when “the persons engaging in the sexual act were at that time married to each other.” This means that, at the federal level, child marriage is viewed as a valid defense to statutory rape.
This law not only suggests that the federal government condones the practice of child marriage, it allows an adult to engage in sexual activity with children as young as 12, and gives sexual predators an incentive to force a child to marry them. The law can effectively turn child marriage into a “get out of jail free” card for predators. This law must be repealed. Repealing 18 U.S.C. § 2243(c)(2) is a simple, commonsense step towards aligning U.S. laws with international standards and discouraging child marriage and rape in the U.S.
What can you do about it?
In addition to emailing your members of Congress urging them to sponsor or support a bill to repeal 18 U.S.C. § 2243(c)(2) and to educate their congressional colleagues about the issue of child marriage, you can call them to follow up.
You can also join the National Coalition to End Child Marriage in the U.S. .. https://endchildmarriageus.org/ , and urge your friends and family to take these steps as well.
https://www.equalitynow.org/learn_more_child_marriage_us/
-
Location
According to information compiled by the Pew Research Center, child marriage is generally more common in some of the Southern United States.[30]
The highest incidences of child marriages are in West Virginia, Florida, Texas, Nevada, Oklahoma, Arkansas, California, Tennessee, and North Carolina.[30][16] According to a Frontline report by Anjali Tsui, Dan Nolan and Chris Amico, the states with the highest rates of child marriage in 2010 were: Idaho, Utah, Arizona, Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, West Virginia and Missouri. The states with the lowest rates were Delaware, New Jersey, Montana, Indiana, North Dakota, Ohio, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Massachusetts.[31]
---
[INSERT: So Montana and North Dakota seem to be standout Republican states where child marriage is concerned.
Note, Florida, N Carolina, and Nevada are NOT listed as Republican stronghold states here, so i left them non-red ..
https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/states-that-have-voted-republican-in-the-most-consecutive-u-s-presidential-elections.html]
---
The Koski/Heymann study found prevalence of child marriage varied from more than 10 per 1,000 in West Virginia, Hawaii and North Dakota to less than four per 1,000 in Maine, Rhode Island and Wyoming.[32]
* In Texas from 2000 to 2014, almost 40,000 children were married.[33][34]
* In Florida, 16,400 children, some as young as 13, were married from 2000–2017, which is the second highest incidence of child marriage after Texas.[16]
* In Alabama there were over 8,600 child marriages from 2000 to 2015, the fourth highest amount of any state. However, child marriage in Alabama showed a large decline in that time. In 2000, almost 1,200 children married, but by 2014 it dropped to 190.[34]
* In Virginia between 2004 and 2013, nearly 4,500 children were married according to the Tahirih Justice Center.[35]
* In Ohio from 2000 to 2015 there were 4,443 girls married aged 17 and younger, including 43 aged 15 and under.[36]
* In New York, more than 3,800 children were married between 2000 and 2010.[37]
The Koski/Heymann also found that only 20% of married children were living with their spouses; the majority of the rest were living with their parents.[32]
Race/Ethnicity
Cases of child marriage exist in every racial/ethnic demographic but are more prevalent in some as compared to others. Instances of marriage were lower among white non-Hispanic children (5.0 per 1,000) than among almost every other racial or ethnic group studied[when?]; it was especially high among children of Native American or Chinese descent (10.3 and 14.2, respectively)[26] Additionally, U.S.-born African American girls are about 1.5 times more likely to marry underage than U.S.-born Caucasian girls.[38] Girls of Hispanic/ Latina origin are more likely than those of black or white heritage to be married as a minor.[39]
It was more common for immigrating children to be married than those born within the United States[when?]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Child_marriage_in_the_United_States#Location
It was Plato who said, “He, O men, is the wisest, who like Socrates, knows that his wisdom is in truth worth nothing”
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